Radiant Heating Tube System Imaging Houston, TX Residential

The image above is indicating the results of 3D GPR data assessment. The pink curved line is indicating the in-floor heating tube inside the concrete slab. Green and yellow lines are the lateral and longitudinal rebar reinforcement. 

The Challenge

The company was contracted to perform a formal 3D structure scan on a subfloor to determine the layout of the radiant heating system inside the concrete slab for future construction. GPR project performed in a residential area of Houston, TX and a high frequency, 2.0 GHz GPR system was utilized to conduct the scanning. 

When radiant heating system is designed, the in-floor heating tubes are typically attached to the top steel reinforcement or wire mesh then the concrete slab is being poured. Radiant heating tubes are generally made of plastic to allow instant heat exchange inside the concrete slab, therefore improving heating efficiency. 

One alternative way to map out radiant heating system is to use thermal vision and thermal camera. The in-floor heating tubes are going to make a temperature contrast between the hot tubes and the colder concrete slab. Therefore the location of radiant heating would be visible on the thermal image. This would provide an acceptable resolution of the lateral position of the tubes. 

The Solution

Using GPR would provide 3D information about the radiant heating system. A well-designed 3D survey map must be used to be able to determine depth and curves of the in-floor heating tubes. After the scanning is completed the collected data set must be processed and assessed in consideration with our company reporting procedure. (See image above.)

By using the interpolated GPR cross section (radargram), a lineal model was designed. That final product of the data processing is a 3D vector model file that is ready to be exported in *.dxf or *.shp file for further use. That file can be imported directly to any AutoDesk platform to make design with it or implement that vector data in a BIM (Building Information Modelling) system. 

With the provided information and visual imaging, the shape of heating tubes is now visible.